A Perfect Snow Angel

Luna lay down in the snow next to the lake. She loved snow. Well, she loved snow around Christmas. After that it could leave. It was cold and wet and cold. Around Christmas time, though, it was magical. Sparkly and bright and cheerful...simply magical.

She waved her arms and her legs and made a snow angel. She stood up and looked at the angel. It had footprints in it, and was slightly deformed from where she had rolled over, but otherwise was really very nice. She lay down again.

'I just want to make a perfect snow angel,' she thought.

She made a few more and realized it was hopeless. There was no such thing as a perfect snow angel.

"Nice snow angels," said a casual voice from behind her. She turned around. It was Harry.

"Er, thanks," she said. For the first time, she really didn't know what to say. She was sure she knew plenty of words; she felt so vulnerable being caught alone without the "mask" that she put on everyday. Suddenly Harry felt awkward. He went to see Luna after he had seen her from the Owlry; he needed some lighthearted conversation.

Obviously he had caught her at a bad time.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked uncertainly. He was expecting her to burst out with some news about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Sadly, he had been looking forward to this.

"No, it's just, well-" she sighed. "My mum used to have this amazing ability to make these perfect snow angels. I was just trying to. To see if, you know, I could." She looked down. She had never mentioned her mum, save the time she had mentioned her to Harry when he had seen the thestrals.

Harry looked down.

"You know, I think I could help," said Harry uncomfortably. "Lay down and make one, I'll show you."

Luna obliged and made a snow angel.

"Now what?" she asked him. Harry bent over and picked her up. He cradled her in his arms and gently set her down. She looked over at the snow angel.

"A perfect snow angel..." she said quietly. "Thanks, Harry. That means more than you know, you know."

"I don't know."

Luna laughed, realizing how confusing that had sounded.

"Wonder if there are any Bouncing Purple Snow Frogs about?" she said looking around. "They tend to come out when it's snowing."

"I couldn't have ever guessed," said Harry awkwardly. For a minute, a whole minute, he had thought maybe she was normal, just a little bit normal, after all.

"Will you look for one with me?" she asked him cheerfully. Harry looked up at the castle. He could always go back to listening to Ron and Hermione bicker...

"Sure, why not," he said. "Er, how do you find them, exactly?"

"Well, for one thing, they bounce. And they're kind of big, but not really. More like the size of two fists put together," she said slowly.

"They're purple, right?"

"Of course not!" exclaimed Luna. "They have a purple mouth."

"I see. So, um, we just walk around until we find bouncing frog-shaped snowballs?"

"No," she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "They nest by trees!"

"Trees," he said dumbly. "Right."

"Come here, I'll show you," she said, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him toward the base of a large, leafless tree. "Crouch down!" she commanded. He did as he was told.

She did the same and began to rub her hands on the top of the snow.

"It's cold!" she said. "Wait, I think I found one!"

Harry looked on curiously. She burrowed down into the snow and pulled up a large, white frog that began to bounce. Harry was shocked. Luna was amused; she laughed at him.

"You didn't think they existed, did you?"

"Well, I mean-I never-" Harry sputtered. How could she manage to see right through him?

"Seeing isn't always believing," she said to him, letting the frog hop to the ground. She stepped closer to him. Their breath intermingled in soft clouds in the chilly air.

Harry leaned in. They kissed softly. Harry felt his heart flutter nervously as though he were about to say something stupid.

"You see?" she said.

Harry had a strange thought right then.

"Sometimes you're a perfect snow angel," he whispered. The wind carried his words up and around Hogwarts grounds, lifting them to the sky, just as it started to snow.